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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Switched at Birth: Sex, Drugs, and Basketball

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

"Game On" is quite a fitting title for this episode. Of course, the easy reference is Daphne's/Carlton's basketball game against Buckner. But there's also the custody battle being waged between Cameron and Melody, Simone's continued actions to get what she wants by any means possible, and Emmett's implied intimate encounter with none other than Daphne AND Bay's enemy. It also seems that Patrick has stepped up to the plate as a true competitor for Regina's heart, so the episode is anyone's game. Except Kathryn, that is. The poor girl has been working on that book and the case and just keeps being told that Regina needs to get involved for success. Maybe things will turn around for her somehow though... right? Oh well, I'd rather Bay be happy than Kathryn, and that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon! Let's get started on the episode... we're gonna cover the boring storyline first, then the one that most intrigues me, then the basketball one. :)

Switched at Birth "Game On" (S01E20): Patrick wants his relationship with Regina to move on to the next level,
though she's hesitant. He stops by unexpectedly and meets Daphne, which
irks Regina. [Daphne likes lox?? She eats fish?? Guess I missed that?]
He invites Regina to a big opening, but she can't go because of Daphne's
game. [it's interesting to watch the reactions of a man who isn't used
to a child being "put first."] The night before the big game, Regina and
Melody talk about how Regina isn't over Angelo. [I hate it when people
can't get over someone who is BAD FOR THEM.] Patrick surprises everyone
by coming to the game. [I was especially shocked.]

Bay wants to give Emmett an amazing birthday, but he says he just wants
to be with her and avoid his parents' battles. [poor kid. think he's
asking for sex, though?] Melody approaches Bay and asks her for a
statement about what she's seen over at Cameron's, because Melody wants
to make sure that the courts see that Emmett is "safer" with her than
with Cameron. Kathryn isn't happy with the situation. [duh. she hates
making her kids do anything too "adult."] Bay tells Emmett about it, but
all he does is make her promise not to get involved. The whole matter
gets temporarily set aside when Bay asks Toby for help with Emmett's
gift - motorcycle fender. They head over to Cameron's and Olivia lets
them into the garage to measure. While they're there, the kids see a TON
of pot in a cabinet, which Olivia wants them to keep quiet about.
[oh.my.goodness. I knew I didn't like her!] Bay asks Cameron about the
pot, and he claims that he told Olivia to stop selling it before she
moved in. [guess he doesn't spend much time in the garage, huh? I
thought he and Emmett had been using told to fix the bike, no?] Cameron
decides to give custody to Melody, which he tells Emmett in-person. not
only does Emmett think that it's his fault and that his dad doesn't want
to spend time with him, he's also PISSED that Bay talked to his dad.
Emmett also doesn't believe that there's weed in the garage, and he gets
so angry when his phone freezes while arguing with Bay that he hurts
his hand in anger. [this kid is quickly going downhill... how much you
wanna bet we'll see him getting high next episode?] He needs ice for his
hand, and runs into Simone, with whom he ends up being intimate, likely
after some vodka. [the whole team is there and Simone has a room to
herself??]

The Carlton basketball team ends up not qualifying for a tournament because Daphne missed a shot... but the team that beat them gets disqualified for drinking alcohol, so Carlton will get to play after all! [that's got to be a lot of pressure!] They'll be playing Buckner, and the tournament is a few hours away... on a school day. Deaf folks come from all over to cheer on Carlton, and even Emmett drives down with some friends in support of Daphne. Simone wanted Toby to fake sickness and come, but he declines. Kathryn is late because she has to pitch the book to an interested publisher, but all that results is that the book needs Regina's side of the tale in order to sell, since the other
book will hit the market first. [why make a big deal about Kathryn
possibly missing a bit of the game? she hardly missed anything.] There's a minute-long question of Daphne's eligibility because there's a rule about having belonged to a team for six consecutive weeks leading up to the tournament, but they decide to overlook it when Melody makes a speech (with Daphne interpreting). Shortly afterward, Simone apologizes to Daphne, even though she claims that she wasn't the rat. [yeah. uh huh. sure. Even Toby doesn't believe that!] The pressure begins to get to Daphne, and she practices late into the night

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and tells John that she feels she represents everyone who is deaf. The game itself has its ups and downs, but Simone fouls Daphne with just seconds to go. [LOVE "sorry, I'm a baseball wife."] Daphne turns off her hearing aids so that she has no distractions as she shoots to tie, and then win! Everyone is ecstatic, but only momentarily...the principal reveals that the program isn't going to last due to lack of funds. [that's got to be crushing news!]